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{{short description|Australian educator and author (1932-2020)}} |
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{{Orphan|date=July 2012}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} |
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{{Infobox person |
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|name = May Lorna O'Brien |
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|birth_name = May Lorna Miller |
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|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1932|05|20}} |
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|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2020|03|01|1932|05|20}} |
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|honorific_suffix = [[British Empire Medal|BEM]] |
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|native_name = |
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|alma_mater = [[Claremont Teachers College]] |
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|occupation = Educator, author |
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⚫ | '''May Lorna O'Brien''' [[British Empire Medal|BEM]] (20 May 1932 – 1 March 2020) was an Australian educator and author. |
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== Life and career == |
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Born May Lorna Miller of the [[Wangkatha|Wongatha]] people, in [[Laverton, Western Australia]], at the age of five she was [[Stolen Generation|removed]] to the [[Mount Margaret Aboriginal Community|Mount Margaret Aboriginal Mission]]. She later attended Perth Girls School.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn2501_3000/mn2649.pdf|title=O’BRIEN, May Lorna, BEM.|date=2015|work=J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History Collection|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331081622/https://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn2501_3000/mn2649.pdf|archive-date=31 March 2020}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 1953, she received her Teacher's Certificate at [[Claremont Teachers College]]. She was the first known Aboriginal woman in Western Australia to graduate from a tertiary institution.<ref name="Lofthouse1982">{{cite book|last=Lofthouse|first=Andrea|title=Who's Who of Australian Women|publisher=Methuen Australia|year=1982|isbn=0454004370}}</ref> Her first teaching appointment was back at Mount Margaret. |
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'''May Lorna O'Brien''' [[British Empire Medal|BEM]] ( |
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After teaching for 25 years she moved into education policy, working for the Western Australian [[Department of Education (Western Australia)|Ministry of Education]] and the Aboriginal Education Branch. She retired from her position as Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fremantlepress.com.au/contributors/may-o-brien|title=May O'Brien|website=Fremantle Press|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> |
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In retirement, O'Brien continued to work for Indigenous literacy and education writing bilingual books, and was one of the early ambassadors for the [[Indigenous Literacy Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/news-events/vale|title=Vale|date=2020|website=Indigenous Literacy Foundation|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331080018/https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/news-events/vale|archive-date=31 March 2020|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> |
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She was awarded the [[British Empire Medal]] on 31 December 1977 for work in Aboriginal education. For this she was also awarded the [[John Curtin|John Curtin Medal]]. She was a delegate for Australia at the [[United Nations]] Conference on Women in [[Denmark]] in 1980. |
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She died aged 87 on 1 March 2020 in Perth. Her public funeral and memorial service was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.westannouncements.com.au/browse/obituaries/view/obrien-may|title=O'BRIEN May|website=West Announcements Obituaries|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331075108/https://www.westannouncements.com.au/browse/obituaries/view/obrien-may|archive-date=31 March 2020|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> |
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== Awards == |
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She was awarded the [[British Empire Medal]] on 31 December 1977 for work in Aboriginal education. For this she was also awarded the [[John Curtin|John Curtin Medal]]. She was a delegate for Australia at the [[United Nations]] Conference on Women in [[Denmark]] in 1980. In 1984 she was awarded a [[Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts|Churchill Fellowship]] to study programs focused on enabling Indigenous peoples to retain their own cultures, travelling to the USA, Canada and Great Britain.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://shop.nfsa.gov.au/australian-biography-may-obrien|title=Australian Biography: May O'Brien|date=2011|website=NFSA Online Shop|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414202240/http://shop.nfsa.gov.au/australian-biography-may-obrien|archive-date=14 April 2019|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> In 2008, O'Brien was featured in the Australian Biography series.<ref name=":0" /> |
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== Publications == |
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O'Brien's papers are held at the [[State Library of Western Australia]] in a collection titled: ''Aborigines of the west: their past and their present'',<ref>{{Cite book|last=O'Brien|first=May|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/210699547|title=May O'Brien papers|date=1897|language=en}}</ref> and a May O'Brien Special Collection on Aboriginal studies is held at [[Edith Cowan University]] Library.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/43654036|title=May O'Brien Special Collection on Aboriginal studies|date=1960|language=en}}</ref> |
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Her publications include: |
Her publications include: |
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''Education for Aborigines'' |
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''Aboriginal Access to and use of Technical and Further Education'', 1976<ref>{{cite book|last=Lofthouse|first=Andrea|title=Who's Who of Australian Women|year=1982|publisher=Methuen Australia Pty Ltd|isbn=0454004370}}</ref> |
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The Badudu series of children's books<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fremantlepress.com.au/books/743}}</ref> |
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The Bawoo series of traditional teaching stories in bi-lingual text<ref |
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⚫ | *''Education for Aborigines'' (co-author), Aboriginal Consultative Group to the Australian Schools Commission, 1976<ref name="Lofthouse1982" /> |
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*''Aboriginal Access to and use of Technical and Further Education'', 1976<ref name="Lofthouse1982" /> |
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⚫ | *[http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0135b.htm Biodata] |
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*The Badudu series of children's books<ref name="fremantlepress">{{cite web |title=Authors: May O'Brien |url=http://www.fremantlepress.com.au/authors/293/May+O'Brien |access-date=9 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402025434/http://fremantlepress.com.au/authors/293/May+O%27Brien |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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⚫ | *The Bawoo series of traditional teaching stories in bi-lingual text<ref name="fremantlepress" /> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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<references /> |
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* Byrski, Liz. ''May O'Brien: 'Heart and soul', in Speaking Out: Australian women talk about success'', [[Frenchs Forest]]: [[New South Wales]], 1999, pp. |
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==Sources== |
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⚫ | * Byrski, Liz. ''May O'Brien: 'Heart and soul', in Speaking Out: Australian women talk about success'', [[Frenchs Forest]]: [[New South Wales]], 1999, pp. 215–227 |
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* ''Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Some Aboriginal Women Pathfinders'', [[WCTU]]:1980 |
* ''Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Some Aboriginal Women Pathfinders'', [[WCTU]]:1980 |
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* Lofthouse, Andrea. "Who's Who of Australian Women", [[Methuen Australia Pty Ltd]], 1982 |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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⚫ | *[http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0135b.htm Biodata] |
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| NAME = Obrien, May Lorna |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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{{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}} |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian educator and author |
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{{Authority control}} |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 20 May 1932 |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, May Lorna}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, May Lorna}} |
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[[Category:Australian educators]] |
[[Category:Australian educators]] |
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[[Category:Australian children's writers]] |
[[Category:Australian children's writers]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:People from Laverton, Western Australia]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Australian recipients of the British Empire Medal]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1932 births]] |
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[[Category:Indigenous Australians from Western Australia]] |
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May Lorna O'Brien
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Born | May Lorna Miller (1932-05-20)20 May 1932 |
Died | 1 March 2020(2020-03-01) (aged 87) |
Alma mater | Claremont Teachers College |
Occupation(s) | Educator, author |
May Lorna O'Brien BEM (20 May 1932 – 1 March 2020) was an Australian educator and author.
Born May Lorna Miller of the Wongatha people, in Laverton, Western Australia, at the age of five she was removed to the Mount Margaret Aboriginal Mission. She later attended Perth Girls School.[1]
In 1953, she received her Teacher's Certificate at Claremont Teachers College. She was the first known Aboriginal woman in Western Australia to graduate from a tertiary institution.[2] Her first teaching appointment was back at Mount Margaret.
After teaching for 25 years she moved into education policy, working for the Western Australian Ministry of Education and the Aboriginal Education Branch. She retired from her position as Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in 1988.[3]
In retirement, O'Brien continued to work for Indigenous literacy and education writing bilingual books, and was one of the early ambassadors for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.[4]
She died aged 87 on 1 March 2020 in Perth. Her public funeral and memorial service was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.[5]
She was awarded the British Empire Medal on 31 December 1977 for work in Aboriginal education. For this she was also awarded the John Curtin Medal. She was a delegate for Australia at the United Nations Conference on Women in Denmark in 1980. In 1984 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study programs focused on enabling Indigenous peoples to retain their own cultures, travelling to the USA, Canada and Great Britain.[6] In 2008, O'Brien was featured in the Australian Biography series.[6]
O'Brien's papers are held at the State Library of Western Australia in a collection titled: Aborigines of the west: their past and their present,[7] and a May O'Brien Special Collection on Aboriginal studies is held at Edith Cowan University Library.[8]
Her publications include:
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